1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector.
2. Related Art
In a connector of an ordinary structure as shown in FIG. 14, a female terminal 3 is inserted into a terminal receiving chamber 2, formed in a female connector housing 1, to be received therein, and is retained by a lance 4 against withdrawal. Similarly, a male terminal 6 is inserted into a terminal receiving chamber 2′, formed in a male connector housing 5, to be received therein, and is retained by a lance 4′ against withdrawal. When the female and male connector housings 1 and 5 are fitted together, the corresponding female and male terminals 3 and 6 are connected together (see, for example, JP-U-03-055674).
Detailed description will be made of the structure of holding the terminal in the terminal receiving chamber against withdrawal. With respect, for example, to the female connector housing 1 shown in FIG. 14, the lance 4 has a projection 7 formed on its upper surface as shown in FIG. 15, and this lance 4 is formed integrally on a bottom surface of the terminal receiving chamber 2 in a cantilever manner so as to be elastically deformed. The female terminal 3, while elastically deforming the lance 4, is inserted into the terminal receiving chamber 2 from a rear end (right side in FIG. 15), and when the female terminal 3 is inserted into a predetermined position, the lance 4 is restored from its elastically-deformed condition, so that the projection 7 is fitted into an opening 8 formed in a bottom surface of the female terminal, thereby holding the female terminal 3 in the terminal receiving chamber 2 against withdrawal. The male connector housing 5 has a similar structure.
In the above withdrawal prevention mechanism depending on the cantilever-like lance 4, however, the lance 4 is generally pivotally moved about its proximal end portion, and therefore a certain degree of clearance must be provided between the projection 7 of the lance 4 and a retaining edge 8a of the opening 8. Therefore, for example, when vibration is applied to the connector, the female terminal 3 shakes or slightly moves back and forth within the terminal receiving chamber 2, and a relative slight sliding movement repeatedly occurs between contact portions of the female and male terminals 3 and 6, and therefore there is a fear that the contact portions are gradually worn, so that a pressure of contact between the contact portions decreases, thus adversely affecting the electrical connection between the female and male terminals.
Therefore, there is known a connector designed to suppress the shaking of a connection terminal within a terminal receiving chamber (see, for example, JP-A-2001-110500). FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the conventional connector 10 disclosed in JP-A-2001-110500. As shown in FIG. 16, the connector 10 comprises a female terminal 12, and a female connector housing 11, and this female connector housing 11 includes a terminal receiving chamber 13 into which the female terminal 12 is inserted from a rear end thereof (right side in FIG. 16), and a lance 14 for retaining the female terminal 12, received in the terminal receiving chamber 13, against withdrawal. A front holder 15 is attached to a front end portion of the terminal receiving chamber 13. A projection 16 of the lance 14 is fitted on a retaining edge 19a of an opening 19 in the female terminal 12, thereby retaining the female terminal 12 against withdrawal. Further, a front abutment portion 17 of the front holder 15 is brought into abutting engagement with a front end of the female terminal 12, thereby pushing the female terminal 12 toward the projection 16 of the lance 14, so that the female terminal 12 is held between the projection 16 of the lance 14 and the front abutment portion 17 of the front holder 15. Thus, the female terminal 12 is prevented from slightly moving back and forth within the terminal receiving chamber 13.
In the connector 10 disclosed in Patent Literature 2, the shaking of the female terminal 12 within the terminal receiving chamber 13 is prevented by the lance 14 and the front holder 15, and the decrease of a contact pressure due to wear of contact portions can be prevented. However, when the front holder 15 is attached to the terminal receiving chamber 13, the female terminal 12 is completely fixed in position within the terminal receiving chamber 13, and therefore during the time when a mating connector (not shown) is fitted to the connector 10, the female terminal 12 can not move, following a male terminal 18, and besides free resilient deformation of the female terminal is prevented. Therefore, a force, required for inserting the male terminal 18 of the mating connector (that is, a resistance to the insertion of the connection terminal), increases, and it is difficult to fit the connector 10 to the mating connector. Furthermore, when forcibly fitting the connector 10 to the mating connector, there has been a fear that the female and male terminals 12 and 18 are deformed.
This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the invention is to provide a connector in which the shaking of a connection terminal can be prevented without increasing a resistance to the insertion of the connection terminal, and even when vibration is applied to the connector, the reliability of electrical connection of the connection terminal can be maintained.